Tensions over the controversial justice bills continue in Romania

The Romanian Parliament started debating the justice bills, a major bone of contention between the power and the opposition.

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Mihai Pelin, 07.12.2017, 13:51

The justice bills, promoted by the ruling left-wing coalition but virulently criticised by civil society and the heads of the country’s main judicial institutions, are now in Parliament for the final ruling. The Chamber of Deputies has debated in a particular manner the bill regarding the status of prosecutors and judges. The meeting started solemnly, with a moment of silence in memory of the former King of Romania, Michael I, who died in Switzerland on Tuesday. Then tension surfaced, and the power and the opposition representatives started fighting and swearing at each other. The so-called debate has thus soon turned into a circus show, culminating in a spontaneous protest of the Save Romania Union members, who actually took the room’s stage by storm, displaying improvised placards reading ‘You thieves!’.

The Save Romania Union and the National Liberal Party claim that the Social Democratic Party, the main partner in the ruling coalition, wants to subordinate all state institutions. They are also unhappy with the speed at which debates are being held, and have announced to report the situation to the Constitutional Court.

Here is the Liberal deputy Catalin Predoiu: “Nobody wants to actually take responsibility for this. The first to bail out was the justice minister, then the Iordache committee, and now it’s the Senate that should do something about, but every time this happens the situation gets worse.”

The parliamentary majority formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania claims the bills were subject to public debate, and the changes brought to these laws are the results of the consultations held with professional associations in the field.

Here is the Social Democrat deputy Alina Tanasescu: “I would like to remind you that, in 2005, the government passed the laws by means of a vote of confidence. No parliamentarian could file one single amendment. “

The only amendment that changes the report proposed by the committee is the one that obliges the state to hold liable a judge or prosecutor who made a legal error, and thus recover the caused damages. The document also reads that the head of state can by no means have a say in the nominations for the High Court of Cassation and Justice leadership, but can still hold its current responsibilities with regard to appointing the prosecutor general and the heads of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate and of the Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism. Also, no magistrate will be suspended automatically when sent to court. The tense debates in Parliament were followed by street protests, staged in front of the government building. Protesters are contesting the amendments to the magistrates’ status proposed by the left-wing power.